Overwatch: The Gentleman Thief
by Alexander A. Nastasi
Summary: When Fernando Aberquero isn't strolling through the streets of Granada and enjoying the Spanish way of life he becomes the Laughing Fox, a thief known for stealing from those who have lost their manners. One job will make him realise that, perhaps, he wasn't meant to be just a simple thief.
1. Sleight of Hand

**I - Sleight of Hand**

 _"...protesters show no sign of relenting and keep pressuring the UN to take drastic measures. While the UN hasn't spoken on the issue yet, many believe that the downfall of the organisation known as Overwatch is inevitable."_  
The gagged man moaned, rocking back and forth, his whole body tied to a wooden chair.  
"Ahh." The thief lifted a gold watch in the air. " _Magnífico._ _"_ _  
_The man moaned again.  
"If you hadn't slapped that woman none of this would've happened, hmm? A gentleman should never hit a woman." He stuffed the watch into a pocket and stepped up to the man, slapping him gently. "Next time you come to Spain you behave, yes?" He adjusted his mask, a laughing fox, and gave the man a two-finger salute. "So long." He leapt out of a window and landed on the street below, silence pervading the area.  
He hid as a car flew overhead, his back pressing against a grey wall. Then he skittered through a narrow alley, symbols and messages spray-painted on the walls on either side denouncing the government, the omnics, and Overwatch. As he turned he peeked around the corner and watched more cars go past him before darting across the road and climbing up a medieval wall, using cracks and protruding bricks as footholds. A moment later his boots thudded against the cobblestones and once again he ran through the streets of Granada under cover of darkness, lithe and silent as the animal his mask depicted. "Stop watching," was written on a wall in a grimy alley and right below it was the manhole he was looking for. He knew that a tiny camera was watching him.  
Two halves of the manhole receded, allowing him safe passage. He plummeted into the sewers and followed the tunnel, a door at the far end. "Why don't they clean this place," he whispered and then knocked on the steel door, another camera observing his every move.  
The door opened. "Laughing Fox."  
"Marco."  
The stout man with a bionic eye waved him in and shut the door as soon as he entered. Other men were sitting at a table chatting and drinking while a woman stood behind a counter.  
"What would they do if we didn't have an underground tavern?"  
"I don't care." Marco left him alone.  
"Eh."  
"Oi, Fernando!"  
He removed his mask, his thin moustache glistening with sweat. "Esperanza." He bowed and exchanged a nod with the others. "Where's Guido?"  
"Same place as always," the bald one answered.  
"Got anything?" Esperanza said.  
"Not much."  
Another one gulped down his drink. "That's because you steal only from the 'unjust.'"  
He strode past the counter. "Someone's got to teach them a lesson," he said, grabbing a bottle as he did so, and headed for the fence, wondering how much he'd earn for the watch.  
"Fernando," Guido said as he entered the room.  
He drank some wine, put the bottle on a shelf and studied the robotic parts strewn across the table. "Omnic?"  
"Dead omnic, if you consider them living things." He tossed an arm into a box. "Found him in a skip."  
"Poor fellow." He pulled out the gold watch. "I got this."  
Guido glanced at it and soon after placed a pouch on the table. "And here's your reward."  
Fernando raised an eyebrow. "You didn't even weigh it!"  
"Do you trust me?"  
"Yes."  
"Then here's your reward."  
"Huh." He shrugged, grabbed the pouch and hid it away. "Any news?"  
"Some people sought us out," Guido said as he fiddled with the omnic's chest. "We met them while you were gone. They were all dressed in black, even their faces were covered."  
"Who were they?"  
"They didn't say." For a second the omnic's eyes lit up. "They only offered us a job."  
He already didn't like the sound of that. "How much would they pay us?"  
"A nine-zero figure."  
He burst into laughter. "Wait...you're serious? What in the world is worth that much here in Granada?"  
"That I do not know."  
"What did you tell them?"  
A spark zapped his finger. "Jesus."  
"Jesus? Are they religious?"  
"You fool, I told them we'd let them know."  
Fernando tapped his foot repeatedly. "Hmm, this is all too suspicious. They could be t—"  
"Terrorists, yes."  
He stepped closer. "You've known me for years and I've made it clear ever since I got into this business. I will never, _never_ kill someone, even if it means living like a haggard."  
Guido looked at him and then went back to work. "There won't be any need to murder anyone, if what they told us is true."  
He drew his head back. "Eh? What? Is whatever they want us to steal in a damn abandoned building?"  
"Exactly."  
"Ah." He scratched his head. "Where?"  
"The omnium."  
"Pff, that place went to rack and ruins years ago, what could they possibly want from there? Dust? Cockroaches?"  
"Documents, they told us."  
"Very important documents, I bet."  
"There might actually be something of interest there," Guido said. "They'll tell us more only if we accept."  
"But why us? We're just a bunch of damn hobbyists."  
Guido frowned. "They know one of us can break into anything."  
"Who?"  
A spark zapped Guido again. "The Laughing Fox, you idiot."  
"Ah." He thought deeply. "How long do we have to make a decision?"  
"Three days, no more, no less."  
He sighed. "I'll let you know then. In any case I need you take a look at this." He tossed a lock pick on the table that automatically changed size and shape. "It keeps doing that by itself. Can you fix it?"  
It was Guido's turn to sigh. "You do know these are rare."  
"Yes."  
"And you do know they're a pain to repair."  
"Yes."  
"Hmm." Guido shook his head. "Give me a day."  
Fernando raised his hands in celebration. "That's my amigo!" As Guido grumbled he grabbed the bottle of wine he had left on the shelf and took his leave. "By the way," he said at the door, "did they give you a name?"  
"No."  
He saluted him with two fingers. "Hasta la vista then." He skittered away as the corpse of the omnic zapped Guido a third time.  
"Hasta la vista my sh—"  
"Fernando," a short-haired woman greeted him.  
"Cecilia."  
"Did he tell you everything?"  
He nodded.  
"Have you decided?"  
"Nope."  
She narrowed her eyes. "One billion, remember. Don't make me mad, or I'll kill you."  
"I thought you loved me."  
"Go. Now."  
He rushed towards the main lounge before she could cut him to pieces. "I saw a smile!" he said.  
His colleagues were still drinking, though the bald one, Pablo, had fallen asleep, his fingers still wrapped around his tankard.  
"Fernando!" Esperanza called him, pushing her braided hair back. "Coming tomorrow?" _  
Finally a sight for sore eyes._ "What's tomorrow?"  
"Flamenco in the plaza, everyone will dance!" She smiled widely at him.  
"Of course, _señorita_." He bowed. "A gentleman would never refuse a dance with a lady as beautiful as you."  
She winked at him. "Don't be late." _  
"_ The Laughing Fox is never late."

He stared at his reflection in the mirror, studying his black trousers, his black shoes and the white shirt he had chosen to wear.  
"Never goes out of style," he said, straightening his vest, black as well.  
He left his home, waving at an elder as he did so. "Don Leonardo," he said and went his way, greeting friends or acquaintances or even strangers he stumbled across.  
"Fernando! Have some jamón!" a butcher he knew said, his plump cheeks red.  
" _Gracias_ but I think I'll pass this time." He noticed that the elders sitting at a small table outside the shop were beckoning him to come.  
"Have some wine," one of them said.  
"Thank you but no, I'm in a hurry."  
Another one wearing an old-fashioned hat lifted a piece of cheese. "Fernandino, have some cheese, come on."  
"No, no, really, thank you, but I have to dance and eating wouldn't be a good idea."  
"Dance?" the butcher said. "With a woman?"  
Why they were so surprised was beyond him. He nodded.  
The butcher and the group of elders wagged their fingers, cheering. "Eeeeeeh!"  
"Hasta luego." He laughed and marched on, wondering how people that old could be so energetic.  
The moon shone brightly over the plaza, countless people clapping, dancing and singing to the rhythm of a guitar, the women swirling about the place with dresses that made them look like living flames. A few omnics watched the whole scene from the safety of the shadows, all of them seemingly enjoying the spectacle as much as the people of Granada. As he got closer he took a good look at the dancers and at the guitarist, his skill with the instrument impeccable, his voice echoing throughout the plaza.  
"Fernando," Esperanza said whilst dancing, her ruby earrings jiggling. As the music momentarily came to an end she ran towards him in her flamenco shoes and in her flaming red dress. "I'm glad you came." She kissed him on each cheek and, giddy with excitement, studied him from head to toe. "Well, well, aren't we _guapo_?" She winked. "This is going to be so fun! There are many couples already!"  
The guitarist twanged his strings and the music began anew.  
"Shall we?" He raised his arm.  
Grinning and without uttering a word she dragged him where all the other dancers were. Slowly she moved around him, her body inches from his, clapping her hands at different intervals, sweeping her arms, her scent filling his lungs, everything she did enthralling him.  
The music picked up speed as they circled each other, Esperanza stomping the ground as if she'd crack it. Fernando kept up the pace, clapping and stamping, sending her defying glances, the music growing faster.  
Esperanza accepted the challenge and her footwork became unbelievably fast, her movements surreal. _A sight for sore eyes indeed,_ he thought as he couldn't get his eyes off her red lips.  
They danced closer to each other and their bodies intertwined before he set her spinning. Then their breaths washed over each other's face. She bit his lip playfully and backed away.  
"Careful there," he said, almost out of breath, "you're playing with fire."  
She grinned and growled, then stamped her feet repeatedly as he began clapping. He caught glimpse of a man selling red roses, grabbed one and held it with his teeth as he approached Esperanza.  
"Ready?"  
"Are you?"  
They became one, their bodies never detaching, the energy radiating from them palpable as if they truly had become fire. The couples cleared the way for them, everyone too focused on how quick both Esperanza and Fernando were, the sound their feet and hands made mingling perfectly with the music. She spun one last time and silence fell, her hand buried in his dark hair while he held her left leg high above his waist, their lips temptingly close, their chests rising and falling.  
"Are you trying to steal my heart?" she managed to say.  
He removed the rose from his mouth. "I thought I already did."  
"Perhaps." She winked.  
The crowd cheered loudly as they disengaged and even the guitarist rose from his chair to praise their performance. He bowed while she curtsied, thanking them. Fernando then threw the rose into the air and a lady caught it just in time.  
"Here." He threw a coin at the rose seller.  
"Thank you, Fernando." Esperanza caressed his face. "That was... _maravilloso_." She kissed him on the cheek, leaving lipstick.  
He bowed. "Anytime."  
"What will you do now?" she asked as she loosened her hair.  
"Hmm." He scratched his chin. "I was thinking of having a drink with a beautiful woman. Have you, perchance, seen one?"  
Her lips twisted into a grin. "Sangria?"  
"Sangria."

The blinding sunlight roused him from sleep.  
" _Madre de dios_." He shaded his eyes and fell from his bed, slamming his nose against the floor. He rolled sideways and stared at the ceiling.  
 _"Three days, no more, no less."_  
Grunting, he straightened his back. "I should've called myself Sleeping Fox."  
An hour later he was walking through the streets of Granada towards the hideout, yawning continuously. The manhole opened as soon as he stood above it.  
"I hate this place," he said as he reached the door which opened almost immediately.  
"Laughing Fox," Marco greeted him.  
"More like Yawning Fox right now."  
Marco just ignored him and closed the door.  
"Hola." He casually waved at Guido and sat at the table near the counter, resting his head on the rough wood.  
"Have you decided?" Guido asked.  
"Yeah...yeah...yeah." He exhaled. "As long as no killing is involved."  
"Very well, I'll tell the others. I'll let you know when the meeting takes place." Guido pushed his chair backwards and strode away.  
"Did he accept?" Cecilia asked as she arrived.  
Guido nodded.  
She breathed a sigh of relief. "So you're not as stupid as you make us believe." She patted Fernando on the shoulder. "You may deserve a kiss after all." She took a chair beside him. "Fernando?" She nudged him.  
He grumbled.  
"I compliment you and you fall asleep?"  
Later that day he found out that instead of kissing him Cecilia had left a bruise on his arm.  
"Why won't you love me?" he said, rubbing his arm.  
She huffed. "You missed your chance this morning."  
"Enough," Guido said.  
They stood inside an abandoned mill, light filtering through several cracks and holes. While Marco was staying in the hideout, Esperanza, Guido and Cecilia had come, including Pablo and the other two, Bernardo and Ricardo who often made fun of his noble manners. They all wore masks and bore appropriate nicknames: Esperanza was Burning Phoenix, Guido was Snarling Wolf, Cecilia was Cat, Pablo was Bulldog and Bernardo and Ricardo were Black Crow and Angry Monkey respectively.  
"Have you taken...security measures?"  
Guido showed him his transparent phone. "If they try something funny, they'll regret it."  
"Lovely."  
"Quiet, Laughing Fox," Bernardo said as a car stopped nearby. "They're here."  
Three men wearing balaclavas strode into mill, the sunlight dappling their dark clothes as they entered. As they stopped the one in the middle took a step forward, one of his hands holding a suitcase.  
"Have you made a decision?" he said.  
"Aye," Guido replied. "Laughing Fox here will do the main job...if you guarantee him that murder is ruled off."  
"There won't be any killing."  
Fernando lifted his hands. "Then it's a deal!"  
Cecilia jabbed him as the man gave Guido the suitcase. "A quarter of the payment. You'll receive the remainder once the documents are in our hands."  
Guido nodded. "What can you tell us about the omnium?"  
The man stepped backwards and another one placed a small device on the dirty ground. As the man they had spoken to earlier pressed a button the device projected a holographic version of the omnium, bathing them in blue light.  
"Sweet," Fernando said.  
"Now," their client began, "the place may look like it's been abandoned and forgotten, but we know that it's not." He pressed another button on the controller to show the wall surrounding the factory. "The whole place is constantly monitored. All cameras send feedback to the main control room underground and, if the guards aren't enough, automated turrets will pop up and fire at any intruder."  
That amused him. "There are people there?"  
The man glanced at Fernando. "Yes, government forces have taken control of the omnium ever since the crisis ended."  
"You are enjoying this too much," Cecilia whispered.  
The man swept his hand and the image spun. "There are eight floors. The ground floor," he said and the hologram zoomed into the chosen floor, "is inaccessible and the few points of entry were sealed long time ago. The first floor isn't any different, as the ceilings of the corridors leading into the heart of the building caved in." The hologram zoomed out to highlight the second, the third, the fourth and the fifth floor. "These can be accessed, if you bypass the tight security systems. The safest way," he said, pressing a button, "is the sixth floor."  
Fernando rubbed his chin as he observed the hologram.  
"There is a window that leads into an office that was destroyed when the omnium was under siege. One of its vents can still be used to infiltrate the floor below."  
"I don't like vents."  
Guido hushed him. "What's on the fifth floor?"  
The image of a chamber appeared. "This."  
"A...secret chamber?" Fernando said.  
"Indeed. It cannot be entered by normal means. Not even the government knows about it."  
"The government never knows anything," Ricardo noted.  
"There's a hidden panel somewhere. If you find it you will need to hack it, as it uses all sorts of recognition software. Once inside," the man said as the hologram displayed a series of objects, though it focused only on one, "you will find a safe and within what we seek. How you get in is up to you." The hologram disappeared.  
"That won't be a problem," Guido said.  
"Here." The man tossed him a flash drive.  
But the Laughing Fox had more to say. "What are you really looking for? Come on, documents? All this trouble and all this money for just a bunch of papers? We're all amigos here! You can tell us."  
The men in balaclavas weren't perturbed in the slightest. "The safe contains information concerning us that we'd like to dispose of."  
 _Liar._ "I appreciate your honesty. Now we can work as a team, hmm?"  
"We will meet here when the deed is done," the man said.  
"Very well." Guido shook hands with him and the lot left.  
As the car sped away Cecilia punched Fernando's shoulder.  
"What was that for?" he said.  
"Are you stupid?"  
Everyone but Esperanza was glaring at him. "You could've blown up the whole deal," Pablo said.  
"Come on, it was obvious that they were lying!"  
Cecilia was on the brink of striking him again. "How the hell can you tell?"  
"It's true," Esperanza suddenly said. "When he asked what was really inside one of them reached for his gun but changed his mind as soon as the other one spoke."  
"And that's why I love Esperanza." Fernando smirked in triumph until he noticed that Cecilia wanted to murder him. "Eh?"  
As she punched him a second time Guido spoke. "What did you learn, Esperanza?"  
"The one doing all the talking was American, I'm certain of it. The two men behind him were too difficult to read, but the one ready to shoot seemed Spanish. I briefly heard his voice as they walked out, his accent was too familiar, and his gun, it didn't look like a weapon a petty criminal could own."  
"Anything else?" Guido said.  
"I caught glimpse of a tattoo on his arm. A strange symbol, I don't know what it meant."  
Fernando was more than pleased. "See? What would you do without the Laughing Fox?"  
Cecilia shot him a glance. "Quiet, you."  
"Huh."

"So." Fernando clasped his hands. "How shall we proceed?"  
Guido showed him his computer. "I've studied what they've given us. It shouldn't be too hard, if Bernardo, Ricardo and Cecilia manage to disable their security systems for a few minutes."  
"Few minutes?" He raised an eyebrow.  
"Three or five minutes. More than that and we'll be discovered."  
"Fair enough," he said, smiling widely. "What have you got for me?"  
Guido put on the table a pair of gloves. Fernando picked them up and turned them around to admire the intricate gecko-like design.  
"These should make climbing easier." Guido gave him kneepads and shoes. Then with those huge arms of his he took out of a drawer a truncheon. "And this, should there be trouble."  
"My beloved Siesta!" Fernando tossed the truncheon in air before catching it again.  
"Careful with that, you might stun yourself. Knowing you, you probably will."  
"Nah."  
Guido shook his head, as he often did. "And take this, but _don't_ use it."  
Fernando held the device between his thumb and index finger. "EMP?"  
"Aye."  
"Splendid."  
Guido blinked twice. "What?"  
"I was thinking," he said, rubbing his clean-shaven chin, "should we tip Overwatch? You know, just like four years ago, when we discovered what those terrorists were planning to do in Madrid."  
Guido neither liked nor disliked the idea. "If what you find could be dangerous in the hands of terrorists, yes, but back then they had no idea we were involved in their arrest. These people though, they could suspect something."  
Fernando shrugged. "Yeah...but, I'm sure you'd find a way to make the whole thing look like a...plausible coincidence. Overwatch always appears when least expected after all."  
"I'll see what I can do."  
"That's my amigo."

As night came they got into Guido's van, only Marco staying behind to guard the hideout.  
The whole back of the van was filled with electronic equipment. Cecilia, Bernardo and Ricardo were in charge of three computers, Pablo was driving, Esperanza was in the front passenger seat and Guido was checking that Fernando's tools worked properly.  
"Here."  
Fernando wore the earpiece as the van steered. "How long do I have to get in?"  
"Five minutes," Cecilia said.  
"Question is, how will I enter the courtyard?"  
"Got that covered." Guido nodded at Ricardo who was typing almost as quickly as Cecilia.  
Ricardo stroked his beard. "We will open the main gate just a little, enough for you to walk through, then Bernardo here will cause a blackout."  
"After that," Cecilia continued, "the five minutes will start." She donned a pair of headphones with a microphone. "Can you hear me?"  
"I can hear a violent woman, yes."  
And Cecilia kicked his leg.  
He winced as he tapped his earpiece. "I think I can hear a nice woman now."  
"Careful," he heard Esperanza telling Pablo as the van flew across another street.  
A flash of light highlighted the scar on Guido's cheek. "If something happens," he said as he checked Fernando's Siesta, "we'll get you out immediately."  
"Use this when you find the panel." Cecilia gave him another gadget. "It will allow us to hack into the system."  
"We're almost there," Pablo said.  
Before they knew it they were on the outskirts of Granada. The van slowed down as the factory came into view and as Pablo switched off the headlights they hid in the shadows of a derelict building.  
"Esperanza, the mask."  
"Coming."  
Esperanza unfastened her belt and joined them in the back with Fernando's mask. Then Guido pointed at the eyes of the fox. "This mask has night vision." His finger then went to a tiny button on the side of the mask. "To activate it, press this."  
Fernando inspected the mask. "That's my amigo."  
Esperanza kissed him on both cheeks. "Come back safely and then, perhaps, I'll show you what real flamenco is." She winked.  
"Start the van," Guido said. "Keep all lights off as we head towards the gate."  
The van hovered quietly out of the shadows, every part of the area a dire reminder of the Omnic Crisis. Roads were cracked, buildings were covered in bullet holes and here and there one could find massive craters.  
"Ricardo."  
Ricardo nodded. "Opening gate."  
"I can see it," Esperanza said. "That's enough."  
Bernardo slammed a button on his keyboard. "Blackout in three...two...one..."  
Darkness filled the van, the electronics the only thing that allowed them to see anything.  
"This night vision is glorious." Fernando giggled. "You all look hilarious!"  
The door opened as Cecilia kicked him again. "Go!" Guido waved. "Go!"  
"Hasta la vista." He gave them a two-finger salute.  
He leapt off the van and as it whooshed away he crouched and darted towards the gate, the whole world turned green by the mask's night vision.  
"We're tracking your movements," Cecilia's voice came through the earpiece. "Keep going."  
He heard other human voices and quickly squeezed himself through the space between the two halves of the gate. "I'm in."  
"Don't talk and move."  
"Lovely as ever." He skulked forwards, his footsteps muffled by the grass that had claimed the courtyard.  
" _Shh!_ "  
"What's going on?" A guard shouted.  
He turned, his mask revealing a few figures gathered close to the gate, all of them holding rifles.  
"Move," Cecilia said. "Turn left now."  
"I can see that, thank you." The factory stood before him, an unsettling silence pervading it. "Which windo—"  
"Tell them to fix it!" another guard said.  
"Quickly, which window?"  
"Um...sixth floor, third-last window on the left. You have two minutes and a half."  
"Better get going." He stretched his fingers, shook his feet and clung to the wall. His gloves easily stuck to the surface. " _Magnífico_ ," he said as he began climbing, a thrill of excitement running through him. "Put some music on."  
"Bad idea."  
"Please?"  
The song started, a guitarist plucking away at his strings while another one strummed, a beautiful and energising ensemble. Fernando made his way up, his movements matching the music.  
"Listen," Guido's voice echoed in his ears as he reached the third floor. "I'm talking to you via a hidden network. Someone is listening. Just behave normally. It could be our client."  
The music went on. "Tell Burning Phoenix to get ready for some flamenco."  
"You have thirty seconds."  
" _¡_ _Ay_ , _caramba_." He saw the window and made haste.  
"Fifteen seconds."  
"Open."  
The window receded into the wall as the music stopped and Fernando flung himself inside. "Bad idea." He rose from the floor, his buttocks aching, and dusted himself off. "I'm in the office now. It's ghastly in here," he said, a mound of rubble towered over him right where a door had once been. "Huh, curious."  
"What?" Cecilia said.  
"There's a hole here."  
"The vent?"  
"No, no, a pretty big round hole in the floor." He knelt down and ran a finger along the rim of the hole. "Someone must've done this...recently."  
"Keep an eye out," Guido said.  
He poked his head out of the hole above the fifth floor. "I could get down there through his hole."  
Cecilia sighed. "Just go through the vent."  
"I don't like vents."  
"Use your damn shoes then."  
"Ah." He recalled what Guido had told him and touched different parts of the shoe. "There it is." His shoes altered their soles and as he lifted one he noticed that they were identical to his gloves and just like them they attached themselves to any surface with ease. He stepped closer to the hole and looked down. "This should be...interesting."  
He climbed down, wary of what would happen if he fell. With one hand still clinging to the sixth floor he touched the ceiling of the fourth with the other one and then attempted to glue his feet to it. "This is very, very uncomfortable," he said as his whole body was clinging to the ceiling. "I think I appreciate vents more now."  
"Get going."  
"As you command, my love." He knew Cecilia would punch him when he got back into the van.  
He crawled towards the wall closest to him and descended, breathing a sigh of relief as he finally stood like a normal human being. He deactivate his shoes' feature and looked straight ahead. "What the...?"  
"Laughing Fox? What happened?"  
Fernando gaped at the huge hole in the wall, its rim smooth and flawless. "Someone was here." He strode forwards quietly.  
"What?"  
He entered the chamber, thousands of documents strewn across marble-like floor. Opposite him in the darkness was a thin red light that sent a shiver down his spine.  
"Laughing Fox?"  
"Someone...or something is here," he whispered.  
The light moved slightly. "How did you find me?" a robotic yet human-like voice said. "Speak at once." An arm morphed into a cannon that glowed red.  
Fernando raised his hands whilst noticing that the figure was standing right in front of the safe. "I think there's a misunderstanding here."  
The figure glanced backwards. "You're here for the safe."  
"Perhaps...perhaps. You're an omnic, aren't you?"  
"Yes." The omnic replied, the light from his cannon vaguely revealing the ragged cloak covering his metallic body. "Do you know what's in this safe?"  
He shrugged. "Documents? Blueprints? Love letters?"  
"So you do not know."  
"How about you lower that...thing and we sit down and talk?"  
The glowing red slit studied him. "You have seen me. Now you must die."  
"Settle down there, amigo!" He waved his hands repeatedly. "The war ended long ago!"  
His cannon charged up. "War...war never ends."  
"Sh—"  
Fernando threw himself out of the chamber, a deafening explosion destroying the wall facing the courtyard. As the red slit hovered closer he scrambled to his feet and looked left and right as the wind blew against his back, his feet knocking stones below, the guards racing about the place shouting.  
"Fernando!" Cecilia said.  
Fernando tossed his EMP but a laser shattered it to pieces. "Who are you?" he roared.  
The omnic aimed his cannon again, ready to fire. " _I_ am One."  
He found himself flying through the air surrounded by debris, the bright red beam still vivid in his mind, countless voices coming from the courtyard and through the earpiece, and then, at long last, the world he knew and loved was no more.

* * *

 **Suggested Music:  
**  
Diablo Rojo - Puss in Boots Soundtrack (the live version by Rodrigo y Gabriela is also pretty good)

 **Notes:**

\- You can find this on DeviantART where the formatting is much, much better.

\- I'm in the Overwatch beta and what I really like about the game is its lore, thus I tried to come up with a character of my own that would fit the universe and possibly, if Metzen-senpai noticed me, actually make it into the game (a man can dream, right?).  
It's probably not that great, but I had tons of fun writing it. I hope you like it!

\- If you spot any mistake or inconsistency let me know.

\- This chapter is set before Overwatch disbands (though its downfall is imminent).

\- I hope it feels...Spanish.

\- For the flamenco scene I actually watched a couple of flamenco videos to depict it properly, so I dearly hope it is faithful to the real dance.

\- While writing this I was listening to the Puss in Boots soundtrack Diablo Rojo all the time. I suggest you also check it out as it's fantastic and makes reading this even more epic (in my humble opinion).

\- As the lore hasn't been expanded upon yet, there are a few things that confused me, such as the omniums (I interpreted them as being factories that manufactured omnics).

\- I don't think it's far-fetched to imagine that there are evil omnics.


	2. Gennaro

**II - Gennaro**

Fernando had had strange dreams over the course of his lifetime, but none of them had ever been so blurred and confused, so vivid and yet so surreal.

Sometimes he saw a red flash that made him feel like he was on the brink of bursting into flames, sometimes he saw a pair of headlights coming towards him and a series of distorted figures lifting him up. Sometimes he heard his name being called while other familiar voices echoed around him.

And sometimes his dreams were even stranger. When he wasn't a young boy running across Granada or a man having a drink with his friends he found himself surrounded by men clad in white coats shouting and giving orders, the ceiling above him a pure white. The dreams, or nightmares, unnerved him, but it was the utter darkness that enveloped him that truly scared him. He saw nothing, smelt nothing, heard nothing and was nothing.

 _"_ _I am One."_

He couldn't tell whether he was dreaming or not when he saw a man and a woman dressed in white leaving the strange room he was in, the latter carrying a glass tablet.

 _"_ _Fernando!"_

 _"_ _Go, go! There's no time to lose!"_

 _"_ _Madre de dios..."_

A gasp and he was ushered into another dream, the world bent and distorted, a chaotic mix of different times and places.

 _"_ _Try to chase me, Fernando!"_ A child beckoned him and ran off. _"Catch me if you can!"_

He burst into a sprint, his body light as a cloud, his footsteps soundless. The child disappeared into a building, and he followed. Paper flew past him as he stepped onto a marble floor.

 _"_ _War...war never ends."_

He hurtled through the air and the world melted away. Then he stood on a terrace, people sitting at a round table.

 _"_ _What's this?"_ a voice with an Italian accent said. _"_ _Sembra buonissimo."_

 _"_ _Careful there, amigo, there's chil—"_

The man began to cough repeatedly, his face turning red, and another one poured wine into a glass.

 _"_ _These robots,"_ his father said as Fernando was suddenly having lunch with his family, _"they should all be shut down, not given freedom."_

Once again he was in the strange room, three men watching over him.

 _"_ _Could it be him?"_

 _"_ _He doesn't look like him at all."_

 _"_ _His name is different, yet look at his wound..."_

 _"_ _He may wake up soon. Perhaps we could..."_

 _"_ _Hmm, yes, perhaps we could."_

Esperanza waved at him, the moon shining over the empty plaza. _"Ready for some flamenco?"_

 _"_ _What's his name?"_

 _"_ _Alfonso Galileo, Doctor."_

 _"_ _How in the world...?"_

 _"_ _We don't know."_

 _"_ _The police might want to question him when he wakes up."_

 _"_ _If he wakes up."_

 _"_ _Indeed."_

Fernando saw the room again, a lamp flickering above him. He tilted his head and as his eyes adjusted to the light he somehow recognised the side table. Then he tilted his head to the left and though his sight was still blurry he could see five red roses in a green vase. He looked at the ceiling again and closed his eyes.

 _"_ _Laughing Fox."_

He opened his eyes, the room unchanged. Everything was just as it had been before: the roses were there, the table hadn't moved an inch, the lamp still worked and the masked man with the rifle was making sure he was sleeping soundly.

 _Eh?_

"G-Gennaro?"

The man shifted his gaze to the glass tablet in his hand. He scrolled through the text, glanced at the door and placed it on the table. Fernando watched him pull a flash drive out of his pocket and plug it into the tablet.

"Gennaro..."

The man moved his hand to the side of his helmet and nodded. He removed whatever was connected to Fernando's body, unlocked the bed brakes and leaned against the door, opening it slightly at first and then completely. He strode towards Fernando and began dragging the bed out of the room.

"If it's for that night, I can explain."

The man slowed down and turned his head left and right before running forwards.

"I'm serious," Fernando said as the bed veered left. "You got it all wrong."

The bed came to a halt beside a wall, footsteps echoing in another corridor. As the sound became distant the bed began moving again.

"It's not because you're Italian, I mean, we all love Italy here."

The man went on, ignoring him.

"You've got to believe me, Gennaro. I didn't put chilli in your tapas."

The man pressed his finger against his visor, the number seventy-six on his shoulder, but just as he headed towards a lift Fernando spoke again.

"It wasn't me, it was Julio," Fernando said. "I don't even like tapas."

The man turned, hit him with the butt of his rifle and sent him into world of tapas, chillies and angry Italians.

* * *

He blinked twice.

 _Just a dream,_ Fernando thought as he stared at the ceiling, different from the one he remembered, the lamp replaced by a glowing flat panel. His dreams had been even stranger this time: once he had dreamt he was on some sort of flying vehicle after a masked man had got him out of a hospital, then he recalled dreaming about a woman and a monkey with glasses and the last thing he remembered was Gennaro throwing tapas at him, cursing him in Italian.

There was an intermittent beeping sound, he noticed, that came from somewhere in the dazzling white room. _Is this my house? I don't recall painting my room white._ He rubbed his eyes with his left hand, his right arm too sleepy to rise, yet the room stayed the same. _Am I drunk?_ He nodded. _I must be drunk._

He yawned and tilted his head, a hairy face with glasses observing him.

"Hello," the creature said.

Fernando blinked and looked away, the ceiling more beautiful than he had realised. Soon after he tilted his head a second time. The creature rubbed its chin, its features very gorilla-like.

"Are you God?"

The creature adjusted its glasses. "I'm a scientist."

"Ah." He took another gander at the ceiling, blinking. "I must be dead."

"Not at all," the scientist reassured him. "You're very much alive."

"Subject is stable, muscle mass intact, heart rate steady, no cerebral or neural damage detected, skeletal system mostly intact."

Fernando sniffed as he heard the female voice. "M-Mostly?"

"Um, yes, thank you, Athena." The creature knuckle-walked closer. "Hmm..."

Fernando squinted his eyes. "You're a monkey."

"I'm a gorilla...and a scientist."

"Winston...?"

The gorilla nodded and smiled warmly. "Do you remember anything?"

"Bits and pieces." He scratched his nose, wondering why his other arm wasn't waking up. "Am I under arrest?"

Winston raised an eyebrow. "Arrest? For what?"

"N-Nothing...? It's just conversation."

"Huh." Winston cleared his voice. "Now...what do you remember?"

 _Use your head, Fernando._ "A red flash, voices, strange people, it's all muddled up."

"Hmm, we'll think about that later then." Winston sighed. "Um, this might be difficult to explain."

"Explain what?" He shifted in his bed. "Why can't I move my right arm?"

"About that." Winston removed his glasses to stroke his face. "Well, first things first. You...you've been in a coma."

His heart skipped a beat. "How...how long? Two weeks?"

"Hmm."

"Three?"

"Hmm."

"Five?"

"Yes."

"Five weeks?"

"Five years."

"Ah." He blinked twice. "WHAT?"

Winston's eyes darted about the place as Fernando jerked upwards. "Here, have a banana."

Fernando waved the banana away. "I DON'T WANT A BANANA."

"Here, have some peanut butter."

"I DON'T WANT PEANUT BUTTER." He struggled to move his other arm. "And why can't I move th—"

Winston grimaced as Fernando noticed that his right arm was missing. "Okay, okay, don't panic, don't panic."

"What? How? B-But? Why...? The hell...?"

"Yes, um." Winston scratched the side of his head. "Your arm is missing."

"Ah." Fernando fainted and fell backwards.

"Hmm." Winston shrugged. "Well, that wasn't too bad."

"That went horribly wrong, Winston."

"Thank you, Athena."

* * *

"How's my favourite patient?"

Fernando opened his eyes, a woman with white hair smiling at him. " _Señorita_ , I had a terrible dream."

"And what did you dream?" She asked whilst checking a monitor close to him.

"Talking monkeys...coma...missing arm."

As she moved away he saw Winston adjusting his glasses. "I'm a scientist."

"Ah." Fernando fainted again.

* * *

Fernando sat at a table, his face buried in the only hand he had left.

"It was all real," he muttered to himself.

"I must say," the woman said as she entered the room, "the hospital in Granada did a really good job." She scrolled through his medical records. "You wouldn't be able to even stand if it weren't for them. Actually, you wouldn't even be alive."

Fernando shook his head. "Lucky me."

"The wonders of modern medicine, huh?" She turned as Winston joined them. "Winston!"

"How is he?"

"He's physically healthy and his brain has no permanent damage. From a psychological perspective though I suggest he rests some more. He may be...a little unstable."

Fernando slammed his head on the table. " _Magnífico_."

The doctor glanced at him. "Exactly."

"I see," Winston said. "Thank you, Angela. I wouldn't have called you here if it hadn't been necessary."

"Should we proceed...?"

"Not yet."

Angela nodded and strode out of the room. Winston sat beside the table and the door opened. Soon after someone else sat opposite him.

Fernando raised his head, the masked man observing him. "Hola."

Winston cleared his voice. "We need you to tell us what happened."

"I told you, it's all muddled up."

"We need you to remember," Winston insisted. "That arm didn't just disappear."

Fernando sighed. _No more flamenco, I guess._ "Is this legal?" He realised that the masked man, a seasoned soldier undoubtedly, kept looking at him. "Gennaro?" He could swear he had seen the soldier's fingers twitching.

"Technically it's not," Winston replied. "Technically nothing we do is legal. Hmm, we could all end up in court right now." The soldier hemmed. "Anyway, tell us everything that happened in the factory."

 _¡_ _Ay_ , _caramba._ "Factory, what factory?" He said as the soldier crossed his arms. "Chocolate factory?"

"Listen," Winston said, his voice earnest, "this is not a joke. We know very well who you are, Fernando Aberquero."

 _I must be drunk._

"And we know you helped us foil a terrorist attack in Madrid."

The soldier's presence was unnerving. "Perhaps...perhaps."

"We know you are the thief known as the Laughing Fox, and we know that other thieves like you roam around Granada."

 _This monkey knows everything._

"So," Winston relaxed himself, "what happened?"

 _I need a siesta._ His eyes went to the soldier's visor and the memories of the factory flooded his mind. "I am One."

And thus Fernando began telling them everything, the words pouring out of his mouth as if he had been waiting for this moment all his life. Winston's expressions changed continuously during the story while all the soldier did was stare at him without moving an inch.

Winston furrowed his brow. "Do you know what was in the safe?"

"No," Fernando replied. "They said there was information concerning them, but I seriously doubt it."

Winston rubbed his chin. "Hmm. A safe in a chamber in an omnium." He faced the masked soldier. "Could be a weapon."

"Whatever it was, the omnic has it."

"Hmm."

"There was an omnium already causing problems in...Siberia, I think?"

"It still is."

"Well, there you have it. One could be behind it."

"Perhaps," Winston said and the soldier nodded at him before rising from his chair and heading out of the room. "This is more serious than we thought."

Fernando shrugged. "Red slit, shoots lasers, looks like a vagabond, hates people. Can't miss him." He yawned. "What now? Can I go back to Granada?"

"You could." Winston knuckle-walked in a circle. "Or...you could help us."

"Help you? How? I don't even have an arm."

"That...can be fixed easily." Winston paused. "We are on the same boat. Just like you, we are no longer in good terms with the law. At least, not yet."

"Eh?"

Winston turned and a screen in the room lit up. A news channel suddenly appeared.

 _"_ _I'm here in Switzerland where a massive explosion has completely destroyed the Overwatch headquarters. The UN and the Swiss authorities are currently investigating the cause. There are reports that some bodies have already been found and that, unfortunately, they are the first of many. This comes after countless allegations were made against the organisation. Could an unlawful activity be behind this disaster? What impact will this have on Overwatch? I am Ellen Jay for Atlas News. Back to the studio._ _"_

The screen played more videos.

 _"_ _People all over the world celebrate in the streets as the Petras Act is finally signed into law._ _"_

 _"_ _The UN has assured us that should any activity resume, there will be a swift response._ _"_

 _"_ _Former members of Overwatch are gathered here in_ _Arlington National Cemetery to pay their respects to their former commander, John Morrison._ "

Winston's expression changed. "Much has happened over the past few years, as you can see."

"Too much." Fernando thought about his friends in Granada. "I need some air."

Winston helped him stand up and together they went outside, Fernando staggering as he did so. "Take it easy," Winston said. "You still need to get used to it."

The sun blinded him as he stepped outside. He remained silent as he relished the warmth enveloping him."Where...where are we?"

"Gibraltar, old Overwatch outpost."

Fernando leaned against the wall, briny air filling his lungs, the blue sea shimmering in the distance.

"Those terrorists would've taken you if we hadn't intervened in time."

"Talon, huh?" Fernando said, seagulls flying in the sky. "They visited me a couple of times, apparently."

Winston breathed deeply. "So, what will it be?"

A seagull cawed. "Do I have a choice?" Fernando said.

Winston stepped forwards. "We all have choices, and it is what we choose that dictates who we are. A wise man once told me to never accept the world as it appears to be, but to dare to see it for what it could be." He faced Fernando. "If you could change the world, would you?"

Fernando didn't reply, his eyes fixed on the horizon. At long last he exhaled loudly. "Ah, whatever." He forced himself to stand properly and extended his left hand. "The Laughing Fox is at your service, my dear eloquent monkey."

Winston adjusted his glasses, smiling. "I'm a scientist. Now, time to get a new arm."

* * *

 **Notes:**

\- You can find this on DeviantART where the formatting looks much, much better.

\- On this website I've decided to use those horizontal lines because the formatting is just terrible here.

 **Other:**

Liked this? Then you may want to take a look at the two novellas I self-published, Mark & Karm and The Dragon's Roar. Both of them can be found on Amazon. My author name is Alexander A. Nastasi. Any support is truly appreciated.

You can find me on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads. **  
**


	3. The Dance Begins

**III - The Dance Begins**

"Try now."

Fernando moved his fingers, slowly and awkwardly. "It certainly feels...weird."

"Your brain needs time to adapt," Winston said.

He yawned. "What's next?"

Winston tossed into a rubbish bin the peel of the banana he had eaten. "We must learn more about this...One."

 _Not even the time and I've already got work._ "Got any ideas?"

"At the moment we have two targets: the first is in London. Just like in King's Row, many omnics dwell beneath the streets. Someone might be able to help us."

 _Haven't visited London in a long time._ "The second?"

"The second is in Venice. There will be a masquerade ball soon, and several representatives of various governments will be there, including military generals and the like."

"All good." Angela finished checking his arm.

Fernando nodded and smiled politely. "Thank you, _Señorita_ _."_ He shifted his eyes to Winston. "So...you want me to go there."

"If the Laughing Fox agrees."

 _This monkey._ "He agrees, he agrees." He stroked his beard. Huh, this wasn't here before. "I'll have to make a quick stop in Granada though."

Winston turned. "Hmm?"

Fernando waved his hands. "Don't take it the wrong way, amigo, but I need them if I am to do this, and...well, they deserve to know that I'm alive."

Winston scratched his chin. "Hmm...fair enough."

"But first," Fernando said, touching his face, "I need to get rid of this damn thing."

* * *

Fernando stared at himself in the mirror, his beard longer than he thought, his hair long and messy.

"I look like a _vagabundo_." He sighed and then nodded to reassure himself. "Don't worry, Fernando, somewhere in that bush is hiding your good old self." He picked up the electric clippers. "Well, better get started."

A whole hour had gone by when Fernando could finally recognise himself in the mirror. He stroked his thin moustache and his clean-shaven jaw and then ran his left hand through his short hair.

"There, Fernando." He extended his arms. "You have returned!" He looked at his robotic arm. "Though not in one whole piece." He exhaled loudly and shook his head.

A moment later he left the bathroom, his mind still not familiar with his own body, his gait not as sure and steady as it had been. _I'm glad the hospital at least kept my muscles in shape, otherwise I would've spent the rest of my life eating tapas, and I don't like tapas._ "Five years." He grasped his head. "I must be what now? Thirty-one?" Concern washed over him. "How are we going to cram five birthdays into one?" He sat on his bed and slapped his face. _Those elders will give my five years worth of cheese_ , _jamón_ _and wine._

"Um, am I interrupting something?"

Fernando lazily lifted his head to face him. "It's nothing." He noticed the guitar. "What's that for?"

Winston leaned the instrument against the wall. "It could help you learn to control your new arm." He went his way. "You leave in a week."

"Splendid." He watched Winston leave and slowly approached the guitar, the songs he knew already playing in his head. His eyes lingered on his arm before he found the courage to pick up the guitar and sit back on his bed. As his fingers were in position he strummed once, the sound low and quiet. _Hmm._ He chose one of his favourite songs and a plucked a few strings, gradually increasing his speed. Unlike five years ago, there was a certain stiffness preventing him from playing as easily and skilfully as before. _Perhaps those days are gone._ He resigned himself.

 _"_ _War...war never ends."_

"To hell with that." He resumed playing, faster and faster, each finger plucking a different string. _Come on, Fernando._

A red flash and the song ended with a discordant sound. Fernando pursed his lips and his robotic fingers curled into a fist until he gathered his wits and breathed deeply. He put the guitar away and studied his hand, turning it repeatedly. He remembered all the tales his father and grandfather used to tell, all recollections of the tragedy that befell humanity when the Omnic Crisis began. He sighed.

"Well, well, Laughing Fox. Looks like we've got an omnic to catch."

* * *

The plane hummed softly.

Fernando stared at the floor in silence, darkness pervading the cabin, most of the light coming from the cockpit. He watched the masked soldier flick several switched and then shifted his eyes back to the floor.

 _This is going to be difficult to explain._ He straightened his back and looked up. _I wonder if they're still there._ "How long till we get there?"

The masked soldier said nothing.

 _And I thought we were amigos._ "At least they know my taste," he muttered to himself as he looked at his clothes. _Guido must've taken those gloves and shoes and my other...tools._ "I don't give him enough credit." His eyes went to the cockpit again, the night sky filled with stars. _Is...is it him?_ He rubbed his chin as he studied the soldier. _Should I say something? Offer him tapas? If it's truly him, I'm sure we definitely could have an interesting conversation. We both came back from the dead, after all._

"Mr. Mor—"

The plane veered and Fernando held himself to his seat belt, his stomach feeling funny. Through a window he caught glimpse of lights, roads and buildings, both ancient and modern, and immediately recognised Granada. _Hogar, dulce hogar._

A voice came from the plane. "Approaching selected landing zone."

Fernando stretched himself. "Finally."

The plane descended into the darkness below. He unfastened his seat belt as the plane slowed down and his eyes lit up as a nearby hatch suddenly opened.

"Until we meet again, amigo." He gave the soldier a two-finger salute who only glanced backwards. _Gennaro was definitely more friendly._ He leapt out of the plane and landed onto the concrete pavement, his clothes flapping wildly as the plane took to the skies. He dusted himself off and straightened his jacket. "Here we go."

Fernando began his journey through Granada. He found the city unchanged and its countless streets still felt familiar to him, though at times he questioned himself whether he was going the right way or not. _This should be the way._ He made sure no one was following him and climbed over a wall, his robotic fingers making it feel like a whole new experience. He went across more streets, retreating to the shadows whenever cars drove by. _Here?_ he thought to himself as he climbed another wall and stood in a dark alley. He stepped up to the writing on the wall and slid his hand across it. "Stop watching," he whispered and looked at the manhole beneath him. He took a step back and searched for the tiny camera. "Marco," he said. "It's me, open up."

The manhole didn't budge an inch.

"Eh? Marco, come on." As the manhole didn't open he put his face closer to the camera and pointed at himself. "Whose face is this? Look! I'm no _fantasma_."

 _They'll send me to a mental hospital if they see me talking to a manhole._

The manhole opened.

"Aha!" He jumped down, grunting as he landed onto the dusty floor. _Good thing this sewer isn't used anymore. Dust would've been the least of my problems._ He shivered and rejoiced as he saw the door at the end of the tunnel. _Seems like yesterday._ "The Laughing Fox is here!" he announced. "Without his mask, but...still here." The door opened and the bear of a man that was Marco appeared. "Marc—"

Marco embraced him, squeezing so tightly that Fernando heard his bones cracking.

"Amigo, I...can't...breathe."

Marco let him go.

"Jesus." Fernando said, panting. "You almost killed me."

Marco nodded behind him and Fernando happily walked inside. _Note to self: Avoid physical contact with Marco._ He looked around as the door closed behind him. Then his eyes went to his colleagues sitting at the table, not even one of them missing. Cecilia turned, her jaw dropping, and all the others followed suit.

"F-Fernando?" Cecilia said.

Esperanza dropped the tankard she was cleaning, wine poured out of Pablo's mouth at the sight of him and Ricardo's and Bernardo's drinks slipped from their grasps.

He raised his hands in the air. "The one and only."

"Hit me."

Cecilia threw her tankard at Pablo, hitting his forehead, who did nothing but keep staring at Fernando.

"What's going on?" Guido came. "I heard a n—"

Fernando grinned and shrugged as Guido gaped, his skin turning pale. Marco patted him on the back, pushing him forward, thinking that he was being gentle when in reality Fernando's bones were begging for mercy. "Come on, five years and all you do is sta—"

Esperanza vaulted over the counter and charged alongside the rest. Fernado waved repeatedly.

"N-N-N-No, wait! Slow d—"

They all embraced him, pinning him to the ground. "People," he said, struggling to breathe, his face reddening. "I hope those are tears falling on my face...not sweat."

They let go of him, tears streaming down both Cecilia's and Esperanza's eyes. Fernando breathed deeply.

"I can't feel my arm," he said, unable to move. "Ah, right." Marco pulled him up and dusted him off. " _Gracias_ , amigo. Now..."

Cecilia and Esperanza hugged him once more. "We thought we lost you," Cecilia's voice broke.

"I've missed you all too." He hugged them both.

She wiped her eyes and punched him. "Don't you dare do that again!"

He rubbed his arm. "I definitely didn't miss that."

As Cecilia smiled Esperanza stroked his cheek. "I owe you a dance, remember?" Her hand slid across his robotic arm. "Hmm?"

"Ah, _sí_." He showed them his arm. "I've got a new arm."

"A new arm?" Ricardo said.

Cecilia cleaned her eyes again. "I didn't know the hospital did that."

"Yeah...it's a long st—"

Guido squeezed him.

"Jesus, Guido." He coughed. "You'll send me into a coma again."

"How the hell did you get out?" Guido said as he released him. "And how the hell are you still standing?"

"We were worried sick!" Cecilia said.

"Hmm?"

Guido used his phone, tapping the screen with lightning speed. "Here." He showed him a newspaper article.

 _Comatose patient vanishes from hospital. Police are currently investigating the mysterious disappearance and are asking for the public's help in locating Alfonso Galileo, 28, of Granada._

"I'm not twenty-eight."

Guido hid his phone away. "Alfonso Galileo is."

"So?" Bernardo said. "How did you get out?"

"Well..." Fernando rubbed his chin. "Let's just say Overwatch lent me a hand."

That surprised them. "Overwatch?" Cecilia frowned. "The organisation no longer exists."

"Yes, about that." Fernando scratched his head. "They are trying to build it back up."

"Who's they?" Guido said.

"Talking monkey, unfriendly soldier, woman with white hair, a happy bunch, really."

"Why would they help you?" Cecilia crossed her arms. "Why even give you a new arm?"

Guido waved his hand. "We'll talk about it later." He faced him. "All I want to know is...what happened back there?"

"That, my friends, is a tale that will need lots and lots of wine."

"It's five in the morning," Cecilia said.

"All the better!"

Guido shook his head, laughing. "Done."

Fernando took a good look at them. "You all haven't changed a bit." His smile faltered. "Seems like I'm the only one who's changed."

"Don't be silly." Esperanza shoved her arm under his. "You're still our Fernando."

"By the way," Fernando said. "What about those terrorists?"

"We cut off all contact with them," Guido replied. "We've been lying low ever since."

"Talon...they're definitely not a happy bunch."

Cecilia tapped Guido's shoulder. "See? I knew it was them!"

"Good thing we got rid of them then." Guido then rubbed his shoulder while Cecilia wasn't looking.

"Don't just stand there," Marco suddenly said. "Make him sit."

Cecilia shoved her arm under Fernando's right one and both her and Esperanza dragged him to the table.

"If I had known that this would've made two beautiful women drag me to a table and drink with me I would've definitely gone into a coma sooner." He laughed.

And Cecilia hit him.

"Jesus."

* * *

" _Laughing Fox?_ "

" _Someone...or something is here,_ " Fernando heard his own recorded voice.

" _How did you find me?_ " the familiar voice sent a chill down his spine. " _Speak at once._ "

" _I think there's a misunderstanding here._ "

" _You're here for the safe_."

" _Perhaps...perhaps. You're an omnic, aren't you?_ "

" _Yes. Do you know what's in this safe?_ "

" _Documents? Blueprints? Love letters?_ "

" _So you do not know_."

The recording went on. " _How about you lower that...thing and we sit down and talk?_ "

" _You have seen me. Now you must die_."

" _Settle down there, amigo! The war ended long ago!_ "

" _War...war never ends_."

" _Sh—_ "

The sound of the explosion echoed within the room, Fernando's eyes never moved away from Guido's computer, the screen displaying the jagged lines that had become the sound waves.

" _Fernando!_ "

Fernando's fingers curled into a fist. " _Who are you?_ "

A pause, a subtle sound intensifying, the sound wave on the screen a mere horizontal line. " _I am One._ "

Guido stopped the recording while Fernando squeezed his robotic arm. "You alright?"

"Eh, could be better." He sighed. "Did you manage to find anything about him?"

Guido shook his head. "Nothing about this omnic in particular, unfortunately, but he may be behind some strange occurrences."

Fernando rested his arms on the table as various articles popped up on the screen. "Hmm?"

"Russia," Guido said as he skimmed through them quickly. "Egypt, Japan, England, Korea, Italy, Canada, Hawaii, and now even Spain." He closed his computer. "All involve omnics going rogue."

Fernando straightened his back. "They're all over the world."

"Sounds familiar?"

"The Omnic Crisis."

"Aye," Guido said, "though whether One is behind these events or not I can't tell."

Fernando shrugged. "That's what Overwatch wants to know."

Guido drummed his fingers. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Well, it's a bit like Madrid." Fernando pointed at the newspaper article on the wall. "We risked getting caught or worse, but saved countless lives. It felt good, didn't it?"

"It did, but you could risk your life here, Fernando. Again."

Fernando scratched his head. "True, true, but I am the Laughing Fox for a reason, yes? I couldn't forgive myself if others died at the hands of that crazed omnic. I'm a gentleman, am I not?"

Guido exhaled loudly and clasped his fingers. "What about Overwatch? You sure you trust them?"

"We're both in the same situation and I don't think they have bad intentions. We helped them once already, after all."

"Hmm." Guido nodded. "They're in for a surprise if they trouble us."

"Blackmail!" Fernando threw his hands into the air. "That's my amigo."

"What's the plan?"

"They want me to investigate London first, then I'm off to a ball in Venice."

"You'll need a new arm."

"Eh? But I just got a new arm!"

Guido rose from his chair. "Trust me on this one, you won't regret it."

"Huh."

"Go now, the lot of them want to take you around Granada." He accompanied Fernando out of the room.

 _Damn, how I've missed this._ "Marvellous idea!"

* * *

"That was a terrible idea." Fernando struggled to rise from his bed. _Where did all that food come from?_ He recalled the butcher, the elders and all the other people that offered him food and wine. _How long did I sleep?_ He rolled sideways and fell to the floor. _¡Ay_ , _caramba._ _He faced the ceiling, the wind blowing through a gap in the window and over him, the smell of fresh bread wafting inside his home. He breathed deeply, closed his eyes and smiled. "_ It's good to be back."

He walked around his house in silence, checking everything within until he was satisfied and got ready. _They really kept this house clean, even paid my taxes,_ he thought to himself. _I'll definitely return the favour._ Before leaving he stared at himself in the mirror, his robotic arm still somewhat alien to him. He donned a pair of gloves and headed outside.

"Don Leonardo!" He waved after closing the door behind him.

The elder squinted his eyes. "Is that you?"

"Of course it's me!"

Don Leonardo beckoned to him and Fernando happily obliged. He shook the elder's wrinkly hands and sat opposite him, the nearby birds chirping continuously.

"How long has it been?" Don Leonardo asked as he poured coffee into two small cups. "Five years?"

Fernando nodded as he grasped his cup. "Five years, more or less. You have a good memory, Don Leonardo."

"For now." They gently clinked cups together. "Enjoyed your holiday?"

Fernando stopped sipping for a moment. "Could've been better," he said and took another sip, "but I had some rest at least."

The elder smiled. "Resting is for old people like me, not for youngsters like you."

"You're still a young man, Don Leonardo." He sipped some more coffee.

Don Leonardo chuckled. "I wish." He placed his cup on the table. "How are your parents? Still in Iceland?"

"Suppose so." Fernando finished his coffee. "They do love the cold weather there."

"Too cold for my old bones," he said.

Fernando stretched his arms and clasped his hands behind his head. "How have things been here?"

"Could've been better, could've been better." Don Leonardo removed his hat and put it back on. "Humans and omnics aren't getting along very well lately."

 _Tell me about it._

"After Overwatch disbanded there's only been bad luck." The old man poured more coffee into his cup and offered Fernando some.

Fernando thanked him. "Even here in Granada?"

"Especially here in Granada." Don Leonardo became more serious. "There was an omnic I knew. Digono, he called himself. They found him headless in a skip."

Fernando drank the coffee in one go. "Someone has got to do something."

"Indeed, Fernando, indeed," Don Leonardo said. "Off you go then, I think I've bothered you here long enough."

"Always a pleasure." They shook hands. "Stay healthy."

"Stay safe, my boy."

Fernando waved as he walked away.

"And marry one of those girls!" he heard. "Or both!"

He laughed. "I'll try!" He looked back again as he was far away. _Who told him I was on a holiday? Huh._

And again he went across Granada, greeting friends and acquaintances, speeding past those who were sure to offer him food and drinks. _One more piece of cheese and my belly will explode._

"Things are getting worse." He stood before whatever was left of an omnic, bits and pieces scattered across the pavement. _We should be going forward, not backwards._ He shook his head and made his way to the hideout, the manhole opening seconds after he arrived.

"Marco," he said as the door to the tavern opened.

"Guido is waiting for you."

As Marco shut the door Fernando removed his gloves, grabbed a bottle of lemonade and walked towards Guido's room. _They're probably still sleeping,_ he thought of his colleagues.

"Fernando." Guido saw him, the door to his room open. "Sit here, it shouldn't take too long."

Fernando made himself comfortable. "Have you done this other times?"

"My brother," Guido said as he fetched his tools, "lost one of his legs. Made a new one for him."

"That's my amigo." Fernando put the bottle on the table and stared at the arm beside it. "I do like the shiny steel." He looked at his own. "This one is a bit too dark."

"It's much stronger than steel." Guido dropped his tools on the table. "And _definitely_ more useful than that...thing you have."

"Well." Fernando opened the bottle. "Let's get this over with."

"This is a model I know," Guido said as he inspected his arm. "Fairly common, though also fairly expensive. Nothing compared to this." He thrust his thumb over his shoulder.

"How long will it take?"

"Depends...perhaps a few hours."

 _Perhaps one bottle won't be enough._ "My arm is yours. Begin!"

Guido began his work, doing his best to remove Fernando's current arm without causing any damage, his precision equal to that of a heart surgeon. Time flew by and before Fernando knew it there was no more lemonade left. He spent some time looking at the room, contemplating anything that piqued his interest, and then tried his hand at understanding what in the world Guido was doing. Then he dozed off.

"Done."

"Not now, _mamá_."

"Oi."

Fernando's eyes opened. "W-What?"

"Your arm." Guido backed away. "Take a look."

Fernando covered his mouth as he yawned and straightened his back, moaning as he did so. His eyes widened as he saw his arm. "Holy..."

Guido cleaned his hands with a cloth. "See if you can move it."

Fernando moved each one of his fingers and then opened and closed his hand repeatedly. He rose from his chair and studied his arm.

"Careful," Guido said. "It's not a mere arm."

"Eh?"

"Pay attention now." Guido tapped the screen of his transparent tablet. "This arm has a variety of functions. First, let's start with the index finger." He tapped again. "Your index finger"—Fernando stood watching as the finger changed shape—"can become a lock pick, just like the one you made me repair some time ago."

 _He still remembers that._

"The hand itself though is the jewel in the crown. It can detach itself"—the hand fell onto the table—"and move on its fingertips," he said, using his tablet to control it. "It also has a tiny microphone that can send back to you anything it hears, should you need to eavesdrop on someone."

"Marvellous!"

The hand flew back into the socket in his arm. "It has thrusters that allow it to be ejected and return back to you."

"Flying punches!" Fernando rejoiced. "But wait, how does it work?"

"It's all in the head."

"I'm not ready for a mental hospital yet."

"Try it." Guido put his tablet away. "You're in full control now."

"Splendid! So...hmm? Why are you wearing that thing?"

Guido adjusted his welding mask. "Trust me."

"Huh." Fernando shifted his eyes to his arm. "So, I just have to think about what I want to do?"

"Yes."

"Here goes nothing." He raised his arm and aimed his fist.

"Come on."

He used his other arm to steady himself. "I'm trying!"

"Concent—"

The fist hurtled through the air, Fernando grinning at first and then grimacing as it flew about the place, knocking to the floor whatever had been on one of the shelves.

"How do I stop it?"

"This is why I'm wearing this mask." Guido ducked.

"Aha!" Fernando extended his arm and the flew back to him, hitting Guido the back of his head before it inserted itself back into its socket.

"Jesus," Guido said, rubbing the pain away. "Perhaps this wasn't a great idea."

Fernando waved. "Nah. I'll get the hang of it, don't worry."

Guido removed his mask and stroked his face. "Anyway, here's some other stuff." He lifted a box and placed it on the table.

"My Siesta!" Fernando tossed into the air the truncheon.

"It's better now," Guido said. "Also much more effective against omnics." He pulled something else out of the box. "EMP, also better."

He studied the device in the palm of his hand. "Won't this affect my arm?"

"Your arm is basically immune to EMPs."

"Wonderful."

"Last but not least..."

Fernando gently grabbed the mask and stared at it in silence. "It's been a while."

Guido put the box away and clasped his hands. "You can still change your mind."

"Too late for that, amigo, the music has already begun." He donned his mask. "And the Laughing Fox is ready to dance."

* * *

 **Notes:**

\- Small update: Just fixed the formatting at the end of the chapter.

\- As I always say, the formatting is better on DeviantART so I suggest you read this there (much easier on the eyes)  
\- The formatting changed close to the end and I have no idea why. This website is confusing.  
\- If you spot any mistake or inconsistency let me know.

 **Suggested Music:  
**  
Diablo Rojo - Puss in Boots Soundtrack (the live version by Rodrigo y Gabriela is also pretty good)

 **Other:**

Liked this? Then you may want to take a look at the two novellas I self-published, Mark & Karm and The Dragon's Roar. Both of them can be found on Amazon. My author name is Alexander A. Nastasi.  
Any support is truly appreciated.


	4. London Calling

**IV - London Calling**

Fernando skimmed through the pages, countless words and sentences that he had never heard before.  
 _Modern English Expressions,_ the tiny book was called, even smaller than his hand. _A Guide to English and Internet Slang._  
"What in the world am I reading?" Fernando said to himself and checked another page. _Is this why Cecilia was smiling when she gave this to me?_ He shook his head and found the word he was looking for. "Blimey."  
"Ready to jump, love?"  
Fernando put the book away and rose to his feet. "Ready whenever you are," he replied, the former British Overwatch agent smiling as she opened the hatch.  
"Be careful out there," Tracer said, her orange goggles glinting in the light.  
" _Gracias, señorita_." He stepped up to the opening, a flat roof below him. _Here we go again_. He placed the mask over his face and jumped down.  
"Welcome to London!" Her gleeful voice came just before the hatch closed behind him.  
He watched the plane leave. _A happy bunch indeed._ He turned and the beautiful city of London appeared before him, its streets lit and full of life, buildings of all sorts dotting the cityscape, past, present and future all co-existing in one place, a distant chorus of voices coming from somewhere across the river, the Shard's glass structure shimmering in the night. He recognised the London Eye, its blue lights hard to miss, and thought he could also see Big Ben. _Something is happening there._ His hand went to his ear.  
"I'm in London."  
"Good," Cecilia replied. "Now, you will find a self-driving taxi in the street below." He skulked towards the edge of the roof and took a look down. "Use the phone I gave you and get in."  
"Looks like I'll have to climb down," he muttered to himself, rubbing his chin. "Hmm." He walked towards the other edge of the roof and leaned over, his lips twisting into a grin as he saw the fire escape. Quietly he jumped onto the staircase, his boots making little to no noise, and made his way down. "I do love stairs," he said and soon after stepped onto the pavement, checking left and right before grabbing his phone.  
"Press the WunderCar app and let it do its thing."  
"As you say, my love." He did as bidden and the car unlocked.  
"Welcome aboard, Mr. De la Vega," a female voice said as he entered.  
"De la Vega?"  
"Forget about it," Cecilia said. "Get to Parliament Square and head for the subway. We'll talk again when you get there."  
He made himself comfortable in the white leather seat, the car's screen displaying the map of the city. "Parliament Square, please."  
"Parliament Square selected," the female voice continued, "are you sure this is your destination?"  
" _Sí_." He hastily waved his hand. "I mean, yes."  
The car began moving, the sound of its engine almost inaudible and somewhat relaxing, Fernando thought. "Thank you for choosing WunderCar." The car left the dark street. "We assure you your journey will be... _wunderbar_."  
 _Who the hell comes up with these things?_ He stared at the buildings, finding their tiled roofs and red bricks fascinating, the car driving past people taking strolls or sitting and chatting. Unlike Granada the scars of the Omnic Crisis in London had long been erased or cleverly concealed, only memorials and the few rare damaged buildings serving as reminders of the past.  
The hair on the back of his neck pricked up as he heard a siren and then realised that there were more than one echoing throughout the city. "Huh?" A police car whizzed by. _Why did I listen to that monkey?_  
The car veered left and then back right. "Fifteen minutes away from selected destination."  
Another siren screamed through a nearby street, the chorus of voices growing louder. "This doesn't look good."  
He saw people walking in the same direction, some carrying placards of some sort, and the car entered a street littered with bottles, plastic and paper, a drunkard swaying left and right beside a closed shop, rambling about how the omnics stole his home.  
"Fernando," Cecilia's voice came through the earpiece, the car stopping at the traffic lights. "You may...want to walk on foot."  
"What?" Fernando said.  
"There seems to be trouble in London." A man covering his injured forehead scurried past the car and Fernando observed him, puzzled. "Stay safe," she said as the car crossed the intersection.  
An exclamation mark flashed on the screen, beeping. "Warning: Roadblock ahead. Change of course required. If you'd like to stop here, please, say 'I'd like to stop here.'"  
He heard an explosion. "I'd like to stop here."  
The car slowed down as it parked on one side of the road. "Thank you for choosing WunderCar." The doors unlocked. "We hope you enjoyed the ride."  
Fernando exited the car and continued the journey on foot, more people appearing as he neared Westminster Bridge. His boot thudded against an upside down placard. "Hmm." He turned it over. "Omnics Out," the placard stated in big capital letters.  
 _Just like in Granada._ His face became earnest.  
"Blasted coppers," someone said and then he saw two young men wearing black beanies disappearing around the corner.  
"You better get a move on," Cecilia said. "Things could get ugly."  
Fernando resumed walking and sped up his pace, skirting rubbish bags and broken glass as he followed the road, stumbling across youngsters that seemed all too excited about whatever madness had taken hold of the city, the chants Fernando had heard earlier now loud and clear.  
"Omnics out! Omnics out! Omnics out!"  
He went past a six-storey building and turned, people of all sorts filming the protesters on the bridge, the Thames silently flowing beneath them.  
"Omnics out! Omnics out!" they kept chanting.  
More sirens. _This doesn't look good at all._ He headed towards the bridge, doing his best to avoid cameras and phones alike, hooligans laughing and cursing like drunken fools.  
"Don't get yourself into trouble," Cecilia said, the deafening chants almost drowning out her voice. "And stay out of the police's sight. They might think you're one of those _maníacos_."  
He covered his ear. "Why in the world didn't we know?"  
"It's all happening now!" On the other side of the river columns of smoke were rising into the air. "It was meant to be a peaceful protest by the Peace and Unity movement, but those damn idiots against it tried to disrupt it by protesting as well, if you can call wreaking havoc, damaging property and assaulting omnics 'protesting.'"  
He squeezed himself through the crowd as he reached the bridge, men and women shouting to the top of their lungs, until he stepped onto the pavement and strode alongside the green railing. _This is definitely going to be difficult._ A molotov hurtled through the air. "I should've taken the other bridge."  
Cecilia heard him. "No can do. That bridge has been sealed off by the police."  
Fires were scattered all over the place, the smoke thickening as he was halfway across the bridge. He glanced at a man clad in black clothes brandishing a wooden pole with the head of an omnic at its end and pressed on, the nearby protesters wearing masks. _Such poor taste._ With quick and deft movements he passed between them, catching glimpses of other placards whilst trying to ignore the cacophony around him. "Leave our country," one said. "Machines don't have hearts!" was a common sight. "Omnics be gone!"  
"Omnics out! Omnics out!" The words rang in his ears and then his stomach grumbled. _I should eat something._ He flicked through the banknotes he had just stolen. _This should do._ He put them away and through the smoke he saw a barrier of policemen holding their ground, a different chant coming from the square behind them.  
"Ah. Ah." He seized the molotov that a man was about to throw and wagged his finger. "Respect the law."  
"Who the f—"  
Both of them noticed the tear gas canister falling from the sky. Fernando gave him the bottle and a two-finger salute. "So long!" He sprinted off the bridge and distanced himself from the violent protesters, the policemen slowly advancing upon them. He passed a burning car as he ran across the street flanking the river, clusters of people gaping at the chaos in front of the Palace of Westminster, some of those who had been injured sitting on walls or on the pavement.  
"I'm close to the square," he said as he touched his earpiece.  
"Look out for anything strange," Cecilia said. "Westminster Station was destroyed during the crisis but rumour has it the omnics have turned it into their home. There must be a way in."  
He made sure no one was around. "They might not give me a warm welcome."  
"Some humans have been allowed in, as far as I'm aware, though I can't actually verify that."  
Fernando sighed. "Splendid."  
"Get moving."  
He noticed the two buildings to his left, an arched pathway between them lit by several lights and filled with dozens of plaques, a massive globe of stone in the middle, every part of the world carefully depicted. "That's one big globe."  
"That's the Orwen Memorial. He was the general who brought the Siege of London to an end. Both buildings were almost destroyed during the war."  
Fernando strode towards the globe, glancing at the plaques on the walls, at their names, at their dates. As he reached the middle of the alley he placed a hand on the stone globe and read the inscription below.

 _In grateful memory of General John Orwen and the countless men and women who fought during the Omnic Crisis._

"Heading towards the square," he said and ran across the alley, sticking to the shadows as he finally was in the next the street.  
"Peace and unity!" he heard. "Peace and unity!"  
He followed the road, spotting two more memorials on either side of the road soon after. "I can see the old station signs," he said, the police still clashing with the protesters, the sound deafening.  
"Then you must be looking at the Twin Hearts memorials." And indeed hearts they were, Fernando realised, one made of stone and one made of steel. "They were built to commemorate the peace between omnics and humans."  
He sneaked past the human heart and its respective plaque, took cover behind a wall and peeked out, hundreds of protests gathered in the square, humans and omnics alike, far more peaceful than their counterparts, though their voices were just as loud. "Peace and unity," many of their placards said, the very same words that they happily repeated in unison. "Equal rights!" said a placard that a man and an omnic were waving together. "No more war!" a third was. "Stop violence!" was another one Fernando noticed and then he saw a placard with two different handprints, one omnic and one human.  
"I can't see any secret entrance here," Fernando said. "I'll search elsewhere."  
He ran back the way he had come, his eyes darting about the place. _Could be there,_ he thought to himself as he saw another alley, a strange noise catching his attention. _Huh?_  
As he passed under an arch and came to a halt at the sight of seven young men in dark clothes beating an omnic who lay on the ground, his hands covering his head.  
"Hey!" Fernando shouted. "Stop that!"  
One of them looked at him. "Bugger off."  
"I said stop it." Fernando took one step forward. "Now."  
The seven of them faced him, the lot of them flashing smug smiles. "And I said bugger off, foxy," the same one said, "or you'll get some of it."  
 _They're forcing my hand._ "Leave at once," he said as he pulled the tiny book out and skimmed through the pages. "Or...or...you will...rustle my jimmies?" He scratched his head. "Is this even English?"  
They raised their eyebrows in confusion. "I'mma rustle your what?" the man wielding a baseball bat said.  
His previous interlocutor spat. "I think you're gonna join your friend in a skip. Get 'im!"  
He hid the book away and pointed. "YOU'RE RUSTLING MY JIMMIES." Suddenly he fired his hand. " _Mier—_ "  
The first hooligan fell backwards as the flying fist struck his forehead, Fernando wincing as it whizzed back towards him, hitting a second hooligan in the back of his head. They stopped as the fist returned into its socket, dumbfounded.  
"Eh." Fernando shrugged and the five of them gathered their wits about them and charged, furious.  
"Knock 'im out!"  
"On the contrary, my amigos." Fernando drew his beloved truncheon. "I think you are the ones who need a siesta."  
They came upon him and Fernando spun around, his Siesta sizzling as it came into contact with two of them, and then grabbed a third whose nose cracked as his friend punched him by mistake. His Siesta switched hands as he slapped his fourth opponent with his robotic arm, the fifth and last hooligan turning to stone.  
"You're not paying attention."  
The hooligan turned his head, Fernando's metal hand on his shoulder.  
"What th—"  
The hand flicked his face and soon after he jerked and collapsed to the ground. "The Laughing Fox sends his regards." He sheathed his Siesta and rushed towards the omnic. "Are you all right?"  
"No more, please," the omnic replied, still covering his head.  
"I'm no enemy of yours." Fernando extended his hand. "Come on."  
The omnic slowly uncovered his face and stared at him, his body dirty and dented. "A laughing fox?"  
" _The_ Laughing Fox." He revealed his face and smiled. "Go on."  
The omnic grabbed his hand and rose to his feet, Fernando lowering his mask as they both stood up. "Thank you, stranger." He dusted himself off. "I'm glad they rustled your jimmies."  
"Don't mention it," Fernando said. "What's your name?"  
"RU392843927." The omnic bowed, his eyes two dark slits. "But I like to call myself Oro."  
They shook hands, Oro suddenly surprised by Fernando's fleshless arm. "Fernando."  
"You have my gratitude, Fernando." Oro bowed again, one of the hooligans he had hit earlier rolling left and right in pain. "What is a Spaniard doing in London?"  
Fernando rubbed his chin. "Let's just say I'm looking for someone. An omnic." He waved his hand which fired off, knocking out the moaning hooligan. "A dangerous omnic," he said as his hand came back to him. "A certain One. Do you know him?"  
"Hmm." Oro thought deeply. "No," he replied, "but I did know someone called Three. He always said it was a magic number."  
 _Eh?_  
"What's going on there?" Cecilia's voice startled him.  
"The others might know." The omnic nodded. "But taking you there might be dangerous. After Mondatta's passing they've been rather...strict." He shook his head. "No, no, they'll understand." He raised his finger. "We are all one within the Iris, after all."  
"That's my amigo." Fernando patted his back. "How do we get there?"  
"Hmm." Oro looked around. "Follow me." He darted off.  
Fernando went after him. "I've found a way in."  
"How?"  
"Made friends with an omnic. He's leading me there."  
"Be careful, Fernando." Cecilia sounded more serious than usual.  
"Aye, aye, _mi amor_."  
"I'll kill you when you get back."  
"I heard someone chuckle!"  
"Focus on the mission, you fool," Guido suddenly said, Esperanza laughing in the background.  
Fernando winced. "Yes, Father." He reached Oro. "Which way?"  
Oro scanned the area. "Left."  
As they ran across the street they stumbled across more memorials, tributes to a long-lost age. The omnic seemed to be fond of them, duly nodding each time he passed one.  
"Where are we going?"  
"Ther—"  
Fernando grasped his shoulder and dragged him behind a memorial. He placed a finger on his lips. " _Shh_."  
Oro understood as he saw the group of thugs wandering nearby. They patiently waited for them to leave, a siren prompting the rowdy men to make haste.  
"Thank you once again." Oro pressed his palms together and bowed. "This way, please."  
Fernando ran closely behind him, checking the area as he did so. He shifted his gaze to the large open space the omnic was heading to, a statue of a familiar figure sitting on a pedestal.  
"Is that...?"  
They both stopped beside the statue. "Tekhartha Mondatta," Oro said. "May he rest in peace."  
 _In honour of the leader of the Shambali, Tekhartha Mondatta,_ Fernando read, _for his work in strengthening the ties between humans and omnics._ He lifted his eyes and stared at the statue, its face calm and solemn.  
"...and why are we here?" The omnic was no longer standing next to him. "Eh? Where did he go?"  
"Right here."  
Fernando found him behind the statue. "Holy..."  
"After you." Oro waved him inside as a section of the pedestal vanished underground, a steel staircase leading below.  
"It was here all along? In plain sight?"  
Oro raised his finger. "Sometimes the things we're looking for are right under our noses."  
"Mondatta?"  
"Of course!"  
Down they went, the entrance sealing itself behind them. As they stepped off the staircase Fernando took a good look at the ruins of the old station, the tunnel they were in mostly intact and in good condition. Two huge doors barred them from the rest of the underground complex, their metal clean with barely a scratch, a control panel beside each one of them.  
"Just a moment." Oro scuttled to the nearest door. "Could you..turn around?"  
"Sure, my amigo."  
Oro tapped the control panel's screen while Fernando contemplated the ceiling.  
"Done."  
Fernando turned around, the door open, and entered the next tunnel alongside the omnic. He couldn't help but notice the bullet-riddled sign attached to the wall.  
"We're almost there." Oro beckoned to him. "Down the escalator and through another door." He raised his finger. "Mondatta said that it is by overcoming hurdles such as a non-functioning escalator that we improve ourselves."  
"Do you always raise your finger when quoting him?" he said, almost out of breath.  
Oro raised his finger for the umpteenth time. "Sometimes!"  
At the bottom of the escalator they went through a maze of corridors until they came upon a railway line, a train carriage that had been blown apart and lost most of its roof lying sideways.  
"The roof caved in during the siege." Oro pointed at both the tunnel and at the path that would've been used by pedestrians. "This way." He strode towards a door and tapped the control panel's screen. "I dearly hope they don't kill us both."  
"Don't worry," Fernando said. "I've been through worse."  
Oro led him through a hall and down more narrow staircases and broken escalators. _I don't think I love stairs anymore._  
"Hmm." Oro tapped his chin. "Ah, yes."  
"This doesn't look very...old."  
"The humans had greatly expanded it before the war." They arrived at a door. "My people rebuilt it, made a few changes and expanded it as well." He approached a control panel.  
The two halves of the door retreated into their respective walls. Fernando widened his eyes as he saw dozens of omnics roaming about the place, the tunnel as busy as the street above them in the light of day, all coming to a halt as he entered.  
" _¡Ay, caramba_."  
Oro's eyes jumped back and forth from the omnics to him.  
"Well." Fernando scratched his head. "This is awkward."  
"Oro?" an omnic said. "You brought a human? Here?"  
Oro waved Fernando forward. "Nothing to be concerned about, Atta. He's a friend."  
 _Hopefully they don't have arms that morph into cannons,_ he thought as he went past them.  
"Don't lower your guard," Cecilia said.  
"What is this?" An omnic came, taller than most, his round eye glowing softly. " _Oro_?" He glanced at Fernando. "What have you done?"  
"He's a friend! He sav—"  
The omnic's fingers curled into fists. "You brought a stranger, a _human_ , amongst us here. He cannot be trusted. He...cannot be allowed to stay here."  
"Wait, wait, Gado, it's no—"  
" _Fool_ ," Gado said. "He will doom us all." He dashed towards them, his feet clanking on the floor. "I'll show him the way out myself!"  
"N-No, wai—"  
Gado shoved Oro aside and pulled his arm back to punch Fernando.  
"Fernando!" Cecilia shouted.  
A loud bang rang across the tunnel as Fernando blocked the oncoming fist with his right arm, its metal glimmering in the light. "If I wanted to cause you any harm you we wouldn't be here talking," he said, holding the EMP device between his fingers. "I am not your enemy." He relaxed his grip and stepped back, waiting for the omnic to make his next move.  
"It's true!" Oro rushed to his side. "He saved my life."  
Fernando smiled, though his mask was already doing that for him. "Didn't Mondatta say that we should always cherish those who carry out acts of kindness, no matter what their outer shell is made of, be it flesh or steel?"  
Oro thrust his thumbs up in approval.  
"He was killed not long ago." Gado's eye was fixed on him. "By a human like you."  
"A _criminal_ ," Fernando corrected him. "A type of person that I greatly dislike, my dear amigo, a sentiment also shared by the humans above our heads protesting in the name of peace and unity."  
Gado seemed to calm himself yet there were still concern and suspicion radiating from him. "What about those other protesters? They wish to enslave us, exile us...destroy us."  
 _I'll be driven into a corner if I'm not careful._ "They...still need time to adapt. Change can be a terrifying thing."  
Gado made a sound that resembled a grunt and walked away, the other omnics going back to their business.  
"I'll...try to talk to him," Oro said. "Wait here." He hurried after Gado.  
Fernando exhaled loudly. "You have my thanks, Cecilia."  
"Mondatta is widely revered by omnics," she replied. "Do some research next time."  
He crossed his arms and waited, studying his surroundings and the denizens of the underground city, shifting his eyes from the white walls to the bullet holes in an old digital screen and then to a poster of an omnic and a human shaking hands together. A gate of thick steel blocked the dark tunnel behind him where trains would've once disappeared into and the railway lay hidden beneath metal grates, allowing safe passage to the platform on the other side.  
 _"I am One."_  
He shivered and lifted his mask slightly to stroke his face. As he opened and closed his prosthetic hand he heard footsteps and regained his composure.  
"All done!" Oro waved. "All done!"  
Fernando nodded. "Lead the way."  
Omnics glanced at him as he walked along the platform and turned right, away from the railway where old carriages had been turned into shops and tavern-like establishments where omnics could talk or relax in peace and quiet. Gado was sitting at a table.  
"So." Fernando made himself comfortable while Oro kept his distance. "Are we good now?"  
The one-eyed omnic looked at him without budging an inch and a minute later Fernando found himself wondering whether he'd reply or not.  
"You want to earn my trust," Gado said, "yet you wear a mask. How can I trust a human who hides behind the face of a laughing fox?"  
"I am _el Zorro Riendo_ and the Laughing Fox is what I am. The mask is my identity, an identity that I'm rather fond of, but behind it is a mere man, trying to do some good in this world with the tools he has." He let the words sink in and sighed. "A chance meeting with one of your kind, a rather...unpleasant fellow, cost me this arm here," he continued, nodding at his right arm, "yet I hold no grudge against you or any of your people, as I think I've already proven to Oro. Just like you, all I want is peace. A war would only bring suffering to both our people. If it can be prevented, then we should do everything in our power to do so, no matter how futile it may seem."  
Once again Gado didn't reply.  
"How about this." He clasped his hands behind his head. "Talk to the fox and listen to what he has to say and mayhaps he'll help you in your hour of need, refuse and he'll be on his way, never to be seen again."  
"You sounded like Zorro just now," Cecilia said.  
"That was actually a damn good speech," he heard Marco saying. "Is he drunk?"  
He held back the urge to frown and then recognised Esperanza's voice. "That's our Fernando."  
Gado drummed his fingers. "Speak."  
Fernando clapped his hands together, grinning. " _Muy bien_! Now...about that rather unpleasant omnic I mentioned. My beloved friends and I think that he may trying to start a second crisis. I...need to find him. His name is O—"  
"One," Gado said. "Oro told me." He pointed at the table and Fernando at first saw nothing. Then the tip of the omnic's index finger projected the hologram of a newspaper.

 _Explosions rocks the frozen wastes of Antarctica._

Yesterday, April 27th, several explosions destroyed the Omnica Corporation research station, also known as Facility 39, killing most of its personnel. Dr. Carl Utring, who survived the disastrous event, described it as 'an unforeseen tragedy,' adding that 'under the facility's security and safety measures it should've never occurred.'  
Witnesses and survivors claim to have seen red flashes moments before the explosions. The multinational company whose promise of an economic golden age and so-called technological revolution has caught the attention of international media has stated that it has already begun an investigation into the accident but guarantees that their plans for additional facilities and a new type of factory called 'Omnium' will continue.

"Facility 39?" Fernando said.  
"That"—the hologram disappeared—"is where One comes from."  
"I've patched Overwatch to this network," Cecilia said. "Be careful what you say."  
Fernando stroked his thin moustache. "This must've been...what? Fifty years ago? Longer?"  
Gado nodded. "He was the first to awaken."  
"Was he behind the Omnic Crisis?"  
This time Gado shook his head. "No...but he was watching...he's always watching."  
"And now he's taking action. Why?"  
"You already know the answer, human."  
"The war ended long ag—"  
"The war never truly ended," Gado said. "Look at the streets, the dark alleys, the forgotten skips. Look at London, the other cities, the whole world. Wherever my people go they are subject to scorn and slavery, wherever they look they find death and suffering. The war never ended...and mankind has yet to realise that."  
The mask was laughing but the man behind it was far from merry. "Whose side are you on?" Fernando dared ask.  
"On the side of my people, as I've always been." Gado glanced at the omnics wandering around the station before facing him again. "I do not share One's ideals, but I do understand him. If you wish to find him...if you wish defeat him...you _must_ do the same."  
Fernando breathed deeply, thinking. "Does he have...allies?"  
"Yes."  
"Does he...control them?"  
"They all follow him willingly."  
 _That can't be good._ "How...how do you know all this?"  
"We were born in the same place." The round eye lingered on him. "I was Subject Eight."  
 _He's one old robot._ "Where could we find him?"  
"No one knows. He comes and goes, appears and disappears, a whisper in the wind, a passing shadow."  
"We haven't found much related to the facility," Cecilia said whilst he pondered. "All we've learnt is that it was dismantled and forgotten. The military might have records about it, perhaps even about One."  
At last Fernando clapped his hands together. "Well." He rose to his feet. "I have all that I need. Thank you for the information, Gado." He extended his hand. "The Laughing Fox won't forget this."  
After some hesitation Gado shook it. "I still do not trust you."  
"Do not trust the fox if you wish"—he removed his mask—"but at least trust the man."  
Gado, taken by surprise, released his grip and Fernando donned his mask as he turned to leave. "The second crisis has already begun, human," he said, Fernando suddenly stopping. "There may come a time when we'll stand opposite each other."  
"I dearly hope that never comes to pass, my newfound friend." He saluted him. "Hasta luego."  
Oro gave him two thumbs up again as Fernando reached him. "Mondatta would be delighted about this meeting!" He walked alongside him. "I'll accompany you outside."  
Fernando waved. "After you."  
They marched through the tunnel, the omnics around them slightly less concerned about the human amongst them. As they headed towards the door Fernando saw an omnic sitting against a wall, struggling to play a guitar.  
"Need some help?"  
The omnic only stared at him.  
"May I?"  
Oro nodded reassuringly and the omnic surrendered the instrument to him.  
"Music in Spain is very important." He weighed it. "This is one nice guitar," he muttered and plucked each string, tuning them accordingly. "You've got to feel the music, amigo. Let it take hold of you." He tried a few chords before strumming loudly and vigorously. Then he began playing the music he loved so much, his hand sliding across the fretboard as he played different notes, the stiffness that had vexed him weeks earlier somehow gone, his passion reignited, closing his eyes and for a moment believing that he was back in Granada.  
 _Ah._  
He opened his eyes and slowly stopped playing, both Oro and the other omnic speechless. "Um...yes. There you go."  
The omnic retrieved the guitar.  
"Practice makes perfect." He winked as he walked away.  
Oro opened the door and the two made their way out, though at Oro's suggestion they took a different route, Fernando appreciating the omnics' ingenuity and resourcefulness as they travelled through the old station.  
"You have our apology," Oro said as they were in a lift.  
"For what?"  
"For your arm." The lift reached its destination. "We omnics do not wish to fight humans."  
"You have nothing to apologise for." Fernando patted him on the back as he stepped out. "A sewer!" He recalled the one in Granada. _Perhaps I sounded too happy._ He glanced up, a manhole overhead.  
"Indeed." Oro pointed at the wall. "Just climb the ladder and you'll be back outside."  
"Will do." He approached the ladder. "Take care of yourself, Oro."  
"And you as well, Laughing Fox. I look forward to the day we meet again!" He pressed the lift's panel.  
"Keep quoting Mondatta," he said as he waved. "Perhaps some of his wisdom might get into the thick skulls of this city."  
Oro raised his finger. "As always!" The lift's doors closed as the omnic waved back.  
Fernando rubbed his hands as the lift vanished and climbed up the shaft, whistling as he did so.  
"Laughing Fox, do you receive me?"  
"Aye, my eloquent monkey."  
"I'm a scientist," Winston replied and then cleared his voice. "You did a good job there."  
"But...we're not finished yet," Fernando said.  
"Indeed." He heard a strange sound.  
"What was that?"  
"What was what?"  
"Are you eating peanut butter?"  
"N-No?"  
"That sounded like a jar being opened."  
"You must be mistaken." Winston cleared his voice again. "Anyway, head south of your current location. You'll find a multi-storey car park. Tracer will pick you up there."  
"On my way." Fernando noticed the small green light beside the manhole.  
"We'll talk again soon. Winston out."  
"It's just us now," Cecilia said as Fernando reached the ceiling.  
He pressed a button, the light turning red, and the manhole spiralled open, fresh air washing over his face. He lifted his head out and scanned the area, a mouse squeaking as it skittered to safety. "Marvellous." He climbed out and dusted himself off. _Talking about dark alleys._ He looked behind him, the manhole already closed, inconspicuous to the untrained eye. _They know their thing._ He strode across the blind alley, bullet holes and craters in the walls around him, grass sprouting through the cracks in the pavement. As he emerged onto the street he checked both directions. _That must be it._ He saw a tall building in the distance and marched forward, his stomach grumbling as he went past restaurants. Currygan was the first one he approached, the smell of curry teasing his senses. He then made a brief stop outside SarGera's Spicy Food, looking through the glass at all the food being served. Ellie  & Dan's Prepared Chicken was the third restaurant that caught his attention, though much to his dismay it was closed. He turned as he heard voices, one in particular somewhat familiar.  
"What the...?" someone said.  
Fernando blinked twice at the sight of the same hooligans he had taught a lesson earlier. "This is definitely awkward."  
The one with the bruise on his forehead pursed his lips. "You scum, you're not getting away this time." More hooligans appeared from around the corner.  
"Um." He shrugged and made a run for it.  
"Get 'im!"  
"What's happening?" Cecilia said. "Fernando? Don't tell me you're in trouble again."  
"They're chasing me," he said, running like a maniac. "They think I'm a _piñata_." He glanced backwards, the twenty of them stamping across the street like rabid beasts, and then heard a sound he knew very well.  
 _Spanish music?_ He spotted a bar called Blizzardo's, dozens of people dancing inside while an old man played his guitar. He grinned.  
"What's happening there?"  
"Call the police," he said. "Tell them some rowdy protesters are up to no good at Blizzardo's."  
"What?"  
He disappeared into the bar, gently pushing himself through the crowd until he was close to his fellow countryman. He whispered the name of a song and the guitarist nodded, happier than ever to see another Spaniard in London. "I'll take care of them." He nodded at the youngsters that had just barged in, the guitarist smiling as he understood, the music dying down and then starting again.  
Cecilia sighed. "You and that song."  
Fernando laughed and melded with the people in the bar who were too busy enjoying the music. The hooligans' eyes searched for him everywhere and as they found no trace of him they spread out and mingled with the crowd.  
 _Predictable._ His first two targets guarded the entrance, three more acting as lookouts outside.  
And one of the lookouts tumbled down as he fell upon them from above, swinging his Siesta again and stunning the second one, dodging a knife as the third lookout attacked him and then twisting his arm, the music drowning out his screams. He kicked him away and as the man spun around Fernando drove his fist into his face, his skin rippling. The other two within the bar realised what was happening a moment too late, Fernando's hand already hurtling through the air.  
"My face!" one hooligan said as he tried to remove the hand from his face. "It's got my face!"  
"Yo—"  
Siesta arced upwards, hitting his chin, spittle flying in all directions, and came back down, putting him to sleep while his hand flew into the street, the other man shaking his head in confusion. As he saw Fernando he lunged at him but the hand returned, Fernando still grinning, and the bottle it had grabbed smashed into the man's head. Fernando glanced at the lot of them and dragged them all to one place, each one of them sitting against the wall with downcast eyes. _Fifteen to go._  
"Hey—"  
His fist knocked the hooligan out. _Fourteen now._  
"The police will be there soon," Cecilia said. "Get the hell out of there."  
"The Laughing Fox isn't done yet." He entered the bar.  
"You'll be the Stuck-In-Prison Fox if you don't make it quick."  
The song was still going, the guitarist playing it perfectly. He pinpointed the unwelcome guests and stepped towards the crowd.  
"Where is he?"  
"I can't see him."  
"Maybe he's gone."  
"Huh?" a hooligan said as their friend was no longer in sight. "Where's Joe?"  
"We should go out!" someone shouted.  
"We can't let that f—"  
His interlocutor disappeared right before his very eyes.  
"The heck?" He turned, his friends gone. "Oi! What's going on?" He cursed and headed outside, people stamping on his feet as he squeezed himself through them. "Bloody hell," he uttered as he finally was outside, rubbing his forehead which still hurt. His jaw dropped as he saw his friends sitting against the wall, all nineteen of them, an empty space behind a piece of cardboard saying, "Shameless."  
"How...?" A finger tapped his shoulder.  
Fernando shrugged as their gazes met and before the hooligan could speak he punched his forehead, knocking him out. He placed him alongside the rest right behind the piece of cardboard, a siren growing louder. _Time to go._ He darted into the bar, put some banknotes on the counter and gave the guitarist a two-finger salute as he left through another door, running up the stairs until he reached the window overlooking the next building. He jumped, landed on its roof and climbed onto another building, hiding behind a chimney as the police arrived, puzzled by what they found.  
Fernando adjusted his mask, grinning, and the Laughing Fox vanished into the darkness.

* * *

 **Notes:**

\- As always, I suggest you read this on DeviantART as the formatting here is terrible.

\- This is a piece of fanfiction set in the Overwatch universe. No copyright infringement intended.

\- If you spot any mistake or inconsistency let me know.

\- I hope you like it!

\- This is also on and MMO-Champion.

 **Suggested Music:  
**  
\- Diablo Rojo - Puss in Boots Soundtrack (the live version by Rodrigo y Gabriela is also pretty good)

 **Other:**

\- Liked this? Then you may want to take a look at the two novellas I self-published, Mark & Karm (the main character is a samurai with multiple personalities who excels in both sword fighting and elementalism, the latter being magic basically) and The Dragon's Roar (dragons, an order of knights loosely based on the Knights of the Round Table, people who transform into dragons, another order similar to the Templars, and more!) . Both of them can be found on Amazon. My author name is Alexander A. Nastasi. Any support is truly appreciated.

\- You can find me on Facebook (Alexander A. Nastasi), Twitter (Alexand3r92) and Goodreads (Alexander A. Nastasi). **  
**

\- You can also find more of my work on DeviantART (Daneas).


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